Flow control apparatus



April 3, 1962 B. OLIVER 3,027,910

FLOW CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Sept. 10, 1956 INVEN TOR. fiurfO/f 4. Omar 2. AITQQ/VE) 3,027,914 FLOW CONTRGL APTARATUS Burton L. Oiiver, 9839 E. 67th St., Kansas City, Mo. Filed Sept. 10, 1956, Ser. No. 608,939 1 Claim. (Cl. 137-397) This invention relates to the purification of water and particularly, to apparatus for controlling the flowof water through a sand and gravel filter basin, includmg as a part thereof an automatic valve operable in direct response to the rise and fall of the level of water 1n the basin.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an assembly that may be quickly, easily and inexpensively installed within a conventional system using only the standard, flanged piping employed therein.

It is the most important'object of the present invention to provide a control valve disposed within a vertical riser that communicates with the basin, whereby the sensitivity of the valve is controlled'through the medium of the head of water-within the riser.

Another important'object of the instant invention is the provision of flow-control apparatus constructed and arranged to cause the valve to respond, not only to the movement of a float on the level of water in the basin, but to the head of water in the basin and in the riser.

Another object is to make advantageous use of cable and pulley means to operably interconnect the float and the valve.

A further object is to normally bias the valve toward the closed position through use of a novel, easily adjusted counterweight forming a part of the float.

A still further object of the present invention is to employ the said riser, through use of a sight tube, as a means for determining when the filter is in need of cleaning.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view through the clear well and filter basin of a conventional water purification system showing the flow control apparatus forming the subject matter of the instant invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed, crosssectional view illustrating the valve per se.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view showing one of the pulleys at the uppermost end of the vertical riser; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, crosssectional view similar to FIG. 2 but taken at right-angles thereto.

The water purification system contemplatedby the instant invention and with which the improvements about to be described are adapted to be used, includes as a part thereof a filter basin broadly designated by the numeral within which is normally contained a filling of sand and gravel (not shown) and through which water 12 is caused to flow for ultimate discharge into a clear well 14, the water to be purified flowing into the basin 10 by way of inlet 16. The clear water is received by a series of perforated laterals or manifolds 18 adjacent the bottom of the basin 10 which communicate with an outlet line 20.

In accordance with the principles of the instant invention, a vertical, tubular riser 22, exteriorly of the basin 10, and provided with a sight tube 23 adjacent its lowermost end, is coupled directly with the outlet line 20, it being noted that the clear water is free to form a column within the riser 22 and flow to the well 14 when valve 24 is open by way of a branch 26 depending from the riser 22 and the outlet 20, and communicating with the well 14.

A valve unit 27 in the lowermost branch 26 of riser 3,327,919 Patented Apr. 3, 1962 22 includes a horizontal plate 28 having a frusto-conical seat 30 presenting an opening through the plate 28 for flow of clear water when valve 24 is open. Valve 24 on the other hand, is provided with a frusto-conical upper portion 32 that fits in the seat 30 when valve 24 is closed.

Plate 28'has an uppermost U-shaped guide bracket 34 and a similarly shaped lowermost guide bracket 36 secured thereto by fasteners 37. The bight of bracket 34 is perforated as at 38 to loosely and slidably receive upstanding stem 40 of the valve 24. Similarly, the bight of the bracket 36 is provided with perforations 42 for loosely and slidably receiving guide pins 44 depending from the valve 24. Line 20, riser 22 and branch 26 are made from conventional, standard, flanged piping and plate 28 of unit27 may be quickly and easily clamped in place between flanges 45 and 47 of branch 26.

The uppermost end of the riser 22 is provided with a lateral extension 46 that terminates in overlying relationship to the level 12a of water 12 in the basin 10, the'riser 22 and its extension 46 receiving a cable 48. The lowermost end of the cable 48 is provided with a fastener 56 for attaching the same directly to the stem 40 and extension 46 is provided with a pair of pulleys 52 and 54 over which the cable 48 is trained. The uppermost end of the cable 48 depends from the terminal end of the extension 46 and is attached to closure plug 55 of a holiow float 56 having a partial filling of sand 58 or the like serving as a counterweight.

It is seen that in operation, movement of the valve 24 toward and away from the closed position engaging seat 31 is controlled by float 56, which float 56 in turn rises and falls as the level 12a of water 12 varies. The counterweight 53 normally biases the valve 24 toward the closed position and manifestly, as the level 12a rises, the float 56 will in turn move upwardly to permit valve 24 to descend under the influence of its own weight, as Well as the weight of the column of Water in the riser 22 and the head of water 12 in the basin 10.

Such minute control of the out-flow of the clear water from the basin 10 to the well 14, is made necessary because of the fact that the rate of flow of the water through the sand and gravel, in the filter basin 10, will vary and by the same token, the rate of flow of the water into the basin 1%) by way of inlet 16 will likely change during continuous operation of the purification system.

Proper submergence of float 56 in the water 12 may be quickly and easily provided by merely removing plug 55 and varying the amount of sand 58 in the fioat 56.

T he need for cleaning of the filter through usual backwash methods can be determined by observing the sight tube 23. If the level of water in riser 22 can be seen in the tube 23, it is manifest that mud, sludge and other material have collected in the sand, gravel, rocks and other aggregate of the filter to such extent as to considerably reduce the rate of flow of the water 12 therethrough. Such collection does not affect the flow of water from riser 22 however, and therefore, the level of such water in riser 22 will ultimately fall to a point where it may be seen in the tube 23.

The riser 22 has a still more important function however, in that the head of water therein tends to prevent flutter in the valve 24. The variance in velocity of the water flowing from line 20 to branch 26 as its path of travel changes from vertical to horizontal, tends to produce such flutter and therefore, the Water flowing from riser 22 to branch 25 at a constant velocity causes valve 24 to rise and fall slowly and steadily as it moves toward and away from seat 30. Valve 24 is, therefore, extremely sensitive and operates to provide an accurate control of the flow of Water 12 from basin 16 to well 14, directly responsive to the rise and fall of the water level 12a in basin 10.

Noteworthy also is the fact that there is provided a single, rather simple, inexpensive unit 27 that may be quickly and easily installed within conventional, standard, flanged piping commonly employed in water purification systems of the kind contemplated by the instant invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

in a water purification system having a filter basin for containing sand and gravel and through which water to be purified is caused to flow, said basin being provided with an outlet adjacent the bottom thereof for flow of filtered water therefrom, flow control apparatus comprising a vertical, tubular riser exteriorly of the basin, said riser registering with said outlet and extending above and below the latter, the upwardly extending portion extending above the basin; a horizontal extension on the uppermost end of the riser overlying the basin; a valve seat in the riser below the outlet; a vertically reciprocable valve in the riser below the seat movable vertically to and from a position engaging the seat, said valve being disposed in said riser below the head of water therein; pulley means in the extension; a cable attached to the valve, extending upwardly through the riser over the pulley means and through the extension terminating above the basin; and a fioat on the cable adapted to rise and fall with the level of water in the basin, said riser having a lowermost discharge end below the valve, said valve being provided with guiding means coupling said valve with said riser for uiding and stabilizing said valve along its vertical path of reciprocable movement, the disposition of said valve below the head of water in said riser and below the seat and movable vertically to and from the seat, permitting said float rising with the level of water in said basin and the weight of the head of Water in said riser to cooperate to move said valve vertically downwardly away from said seat, and the guiding means coupling said valve with said riser and the head of water in said riser cooperating to guide and stabilize the valve to prevent flutter thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 438,060 Chapline et al Oct. 7, 1890 470,782 Davis Mar. 15, 1892 646,931 Greer Apr. 3, 1900 717,018 Paul Dec. 30, 1902 719,357 McClintock Jan. 27, 1903 930,135 Blessing Aug. 3, 1909 1,962,472 An lemyer June 12, 1934 2,540,361 Whitley Feb. 6, 1951 2,684,830 Stephany July 27, 1954 2,845,799 Emanuel et a1. Aug. 5, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 433/1910 Great Britain Jan. 7, 1910 

